Exhibition: 和紙WASHI: The Artistic Spirit of Japanese Paper

Open until Tuesday 28 July
Open weekdays, 09:30am - 5:30pm
Closed weekends, 25 May & 20 July
Please check opening times in advance on our Eventbrite page (advance bookings can be made but walk-ins are also welcome)
Admission is free but please show photographic identification on entry

Washi (和紙, ‘Japanese paper’) is highly regarded for its strength, versatility and beauty. These attributes have given it a central role in the domestic, religious and artistic life of Japan for over 1400 years, and seen paper take pride of place in temples and shrines, in palaces and homes, and in schools and workplaces.

While the origins of papermaking was primarily associated with religious and administrative uses, washi has evolved to become more than just a mere surface for artistic expresson and is used in paper screens, lanterns, umbrellas and even as an important resource for conservation.

Artwork by Hiroko Imada (l), Elaine Cooper (c) and Kuniko Maeda (r)

This exhibition aims to prove that there still is an astonishing array of washi and its continued influence, inside and outside of Japan, is undeniable.
 

Calligraphy by Aya Burbanks and origami by Claire Faulkes of the British Origami Society